1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gauges for fasteners and, more specifically, to devices for gauging and pricing fasteners.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various indexes, scales, gauges and the like for determining the size of bolts and similar fasteners are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 447,475; 2,679,697; 2,728,145; 2,928,181; 2,981,005; 3,218,724; and 3,858,325 are considered to be generally illustrative of the art. These devices are generally intended for application by the user to assist in the performance of routine work. Therefore, these devices generally afford no information regarding the purchase price of specific fasteners.
When fasteners are sold in bulk quantities, typically, both seller and purchaser are familiar with the fastener and are aware of its price. However, when fasteners are sold in limited quantities or individually, they are usually sold over-the-counter as in hardware stores. Under these circumstances, the seller and/or purchaser may be unable to precisely identify the fastener from its physical appearance and may be unfamiliar with its price. Moreover, even if gauges and similar mechanisms known it the prior art were used to determine the sizes of the fastener, the seller still had to generally refer to an independent source to determine the correct price. Accordingly, there existed a need for a fastener gauge and price calculator for efficiently gauging and pricing fasteners sold over-the-counter as in hardware stores and the like.